Marvel's chief executive is hardly a household name. But Disney's purchase of the comic book publisher made Perlmutter one of the largest individual shareholders in the entertainment conglomerate, giving him special powers all his own.

Superheroes are big business in Hollywood, accounting for three of the top-grossing films in the U.S. this year: Marvel's "The Avengers," "The Dark Knight Rises" and"The Amazing Spider-Man." At a time when other expensive movie gambles such as"John Carter" and"Battleship" bombed, Disney's decision to pay $4 billion for Marvel in 2009 seems inspired.